When The Shadows Flee Away

"Until the day break and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the
mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense" (Sol. Song iv:6).

For nearly 6,000 years the shadows of sin and death and all which goes
with it have been upon the human race. It has been a long and dreary
night. Nor has that night become less as centuries passed by. Never
before have the shadows of the night, the shadows of sin, been so dark
and horrifying as now. Never before has there been so much sorrow, so
much weeping and suffering in the earth as during our generation. That
it will not be always so God's holy Word assures us. The night will
end some day. "Watchman what of the night? Watchman, what of the
night? The morning cometh." What morning did the watchman mean? It
is that morning which all the great prophets of God beheld in holy
vision. The morning when the day breaks and the shadows flee away.
Then that which has been shall be again and peace on earth as well as
glory to God in the highest will follow.

How and when will that long-promised morning come? Not through man's
efforts. Not even through the preaching of the Gospel or the
activities of the church. Not through a progressive civilization or
through great reforms. Many expect in our days a better time for this
earth as the result of the great struggle of nations. One of the
slogans has been; "We fight to make the earth a decent place to live
in;" while others believe that after the war a perfect and permanent
peace with world-wide brotherhood and prosperity will solve all the
problems of the human race. The complete overthrow of autocracy with
its horrible crimes is in sight. Democracy will be victorious.
Nations, we doubt not, will be brought together in a great league of
nations, and all we have been fighting for as a nation to maintain
justice and righteousness will be accomplished. But is this going to
end sin? Will this mean that all the world turns now to God and to His
Son? Will this victory end human suffering and wipe away all tears?

Will it bring back the lost paradise? Will famines and pestilences,
earthquakes now be stopped? Will as a result of the victory of
democracy groaning creation be delivered from its groans by the removal
of the curse which has rested upon it so long? Has the perfect day
come when all strife ceases forever and the sword can never again be
unsheathed?

With all the achievements of our times and the realization of our human
hopes the age is still "this present evil age," Satan is not yet
dethroned, but he is still the ruler and the god of the age. The night
is still on. The promised daybreak has not yet come when the shadows
flee away. May God's people remember this now when a wave of optimism
no doubt will soon sweep this world, when everywhere the message of
"peace and safety" will be preached, when the rush for world betterment
will become almost irresistible.